Public transit talkiness varies a lot by city. In Boston, it’s minimal. I understand in other cities, conversation is much more normal.
It’s my experience as a young woman that the only people who try to talk to me on public transit are men. If you’re a man, know that young women you try to talk to are probably going to assume you’re sketchy because they’ve been approached by so many other sketchy men before.
I veto talking to anyone who is reading. A possible exception might be if you’ve read what they’re reading and ask their opinion of it, or similar.
An anecdote: I was once reading Prattchett in a trolley-bus, and the ticket seller, a young man, exclaimed ‘Oh! You read Prattchett in the original!‘, and I was like, shit, he’s after my book and said ‘Yes,’ in an uninviting voice, and he went on his way…
…and I still regret not taking the time to talk to him.:)
Public transit talkiness varies a lot by city. In Boston, it’s minimal. I understand in other cities, conversation is much more normal.
It’s my experience as a young woman that the only people who try to talk to me on public transit are men. If you’re a man, know that young women you try to talk to are probably going to assume you’re sketchy because they’ve been approached by so many other sketchy men before.
I veto talking to anyone who is reading. A possible exception might be if you’ve read what they’re reading and ask their opinion of it, or similar.
An anecdote: I was once reading Prattchett in a trolley-bus, and the ticket seller, a young man, exclaimed ‘Oh! You read Prattchett in the original!‘, and I was like, shit, he’s after my book and said ‘Yes,’ in an uninviting voice, and he went on his way… …and I still regret not taking the time to talk to him.:)